The Pumpkin King's Heir
by Krysten Malfoy
Summary: When a young girl finds herself whisked off to Halloween Town, could she ever adjust to the life her father built for her? Lock/OC Barrel/OC Shock/OC eventually
1. Don't Be Afraid

**Had to do this. Sorry.**

Mum was crying again tonight. I think she lost her job again. I've been lying awake in my bed, just waiting for her to stop, so I could fall asleep with some piece of mind. But she never did. If my father was here, she might be less upset. I wouldn't know. I never met him. He left after he accidentally got my mother pregnant. That was fourteen years ago.

Even though he's not here, Mum sees things that remind her of him everyday. Usually me. I don't know what my father looked like, but he must have been really skinny. I have hardly any meat on me. Extremely pale. Almost completely a skeleton. My hair is so blonde it's nearly white. I'm rather scary looking actually. But Mum, she's beautiful. Long brown hair, round face, and deep hazel eyes. Mine are very dull, grey. I was finally able to fall asleep, only to dream the same dream I've dreamt since I found out 'Daddy' wasn't ever coming back.

_I ran down the thin path in the forest. Away from the monsters. Away from the skeletal shape that must have been my father. A small ghost dog was with them, baring his teeth and growling. I screamed and continued down the path only to come out into a clearing. Large trees encircled it, each with a different symbol on it. One a Christmas tree, an Easter egg, a Jack-o-lantern, a turkey, and a green top hat. Confused and lost, I spun around to come face to face, with the mob. My could-be father stepped forward and held a hand out to me,_

"_Come now, Jinnie. Don't be afraid. We want you back home, with your family." I scrambled backward, shaking with fear, and then hit my head on the tree. Then, everything went black._

I woke up to my radio blaring songs from The Nightmare Before Easter, my favorite Disney movie. I reached up and wiped cold sweat from my brow and stood up to look out the window. The beautiful buildings of Little Whinging spread out before me and I could just make out the outline of my school down the street. I walked over to the closet and quickly pulled on my school uniform. Thanks to my enraged mother, I didn't have to wear the same degrading mini skirt the other girls did. Didn't have to show off my unhealthy looking legs. I puled on the black slacks and the rest of the uniform. I grabbed my brush, pulled it through my hair quickly and sighed. My hair, so light and thin, fell limply to my waist without any special care, unlike the other girls at school, who were extremely jealous for it, mind you. I grabbed my satchel, which held blank papers and pencils, and then walked down the stairs. I glanced out the window, and Mum's car was gone, so she must have left already, most likely to find a new job. I sighed and shuffled into the kitchen, only to run into our maid, Mary. She'd been with us since the day I was born. My father left her with us when he left. She was very skinny like me, so I'm guessing it had to do with where they came from. I had never asked her questions about my father before, but something about today being the day before Halloween had me wondering. I sat down at the table and frowned,

"Mary? Could I ask you something? . . . about my father?" She smiled and sat down across from me,

"Of course dear. But make it quick. You have to leave in ten minutes." I nodded and looked up into her old wrinkled face,

"Who was he? My friends were talking about it, and they were thinking he must have been rich if he was able to leave me with a nanny." Mary nodded,

"He wasn't rich, not exactly. Your father is a king." I frowned. Royalty? That must not have been what she meant.

"What is his name?" She frowned,

"Both your mother and you father asked me not to tell you his name. Not until he was ready to come and find you. But I believe that it is your right to know. His name is Jack. I shant tell you his last name, but now you have something to hold off your friend inquiries." I nodded and started for the door,

"Thank you Mary."

**~X~X~X~**

"Bloody hell, Jinnie, are you serious?! Your father is a king? King of where?" I shook my head,

"Gosh, I don't know Lizzie! Mary only told me that he was a king, his name was Jack, and that he's going to come for me one day!" My best friend gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth,

"Bloody hell, Jinnie!!! You're a princess!!! You're going to be like. . .the most popular girl in school!! The only one ever to come close to ever being a princess was Mikayla!!! Oh!! How do you know if he doesn't have a son!! You could have a brother!!!!" I rolled my eyes and shook my head,

"I don't know Lizzie!!! And you can't tell anyone that I'm a princess, it would just. . .I would most likely get made fun of more!!" Just as I said this, A group of girls walked by laughing,

"Hey Princess Twiggy!!!" I groaned,

"You already told?! Bloody hell, Lizzie!! How many people have you talked to since this morning?!" Lizzie blushed and stared down at her hands,

"Only a few. . .okay the entire home room." I groaned,

"Wonderful. And you know who's going to be affected by this the most?!" Just as she was starting to answer, the person I was worrying about walked up and dropped down next to me at our table. He brushed some of his luscious black hair out of his eyes and grinned,

"Hey there princess." I blushed lightly and started pulling apart my biscuit,

"Hello, James. How's your day been?" He laughed and grinned down at me,

"Now then, Jinnie. What's with all these formalities?" I sighed,

"No formalities James. I was trying to be polite. If that's so disagreeable to you I'll stop." James grinned and took my hand,

"I'm sorry Jinnie. I didn't mean to upset you. Now, what's all this I hear about you being a princess?" I shook my head,

"It's nothing. Nothing at all." I grabbed my satchel and stood up,

"I have to go. Lizzie come with me." She frowned but followed me anyways. James stood up as well and laughed,

"Would you like me to escort you two ladies? Where ever you may be going?" I shook my head,

"No, James. We'll be alright." He frowned slightly and then walked off. Completely mortified, I grabbed Lizzie's arm and dragged her out of the dining room and headed for the door out into the back alley of the school. As soon as we were outside she burst into laughter,

"Poor James!! What's wrong with you? He obviously likes you!!" I rolled my eyes,

"No Lizzie. We need to get this straight. He only like the crown that could possibly belong on my head. Now come on. We're ditching. I need to go home." Lizzie shrugged and followed me out onto the street. As we started walking, Lizzie started peeking over her shoulder. After a few moments, she was glaring straight ahead. I frowned,

"What's wrong with you?" I whispered. She shook her head and started mouthing her answer,

"Scary guy. In a cloak. Right behind us. Can't see his face." I started to talk back when a hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder,

"Come now, Jinnie. Don't be scared. We want you back home." We spun around and screamed when we saw that the man, was nothing but a skeleton. And then, I blacked out.

***gasp* I always figured that Jack would go for a british chick...like meeeee haha**


	2. We're So Glad You're Home

**Yay!! Next chapter!!!**

When I awoke, I found myself curled up in the corner of a small room. Books covered the walls and a small fireplace was located across the room. Shivering, I crawled across the floor and curled up in front of the fire. A rickety cast iron bed was in the middle of the room, holding a what looked like a person. I looked away and saw an empty dog bed sitting next to me. The man must have a dog.

Now warm, I stood up and walked over to the bed, only to find that it was Lizzie lying there. I reached out to her, and that's when I saw my hand. Bones. Nothing but bones. I held back a scream and staggered away from the bed. What happened? I reached up to my head and felt the hair, which was somehow attached to my skull. I ran across the room and looked into a small mirror, only to see a skeleton that just vaguely resembled me. At this I couldn't help but scream.

Lizzie bolted upright out of the bed and looked at me, I'm glad I wasn't facing her. She looked scared enough as it is.

"J-Jinnie? What's happened?" I looked down at my skeleton hands and shook my head,

"I don't know, Lizzie. I just don't know." Then, the door swung open and a girl who looked like a zombie, or a doll, or something that was sewn together pranced in the room. She looked almost as boney as I was before I came here. She smiled,

"Oh, Jinnie you're awake! I've always wanted a big sister and here you are!! My older sister finally home. Father was so happy when Miranda allowed him to bring you!" I frowned. Miranda? That was my mother's name. The younger girl cocked her head to one side and smiled,

"I'm sorry. I'm being very rude. My name is Alice. I'm Jack's other daughter. You'll meet Jason soon. He's our brother. My big brother, your twin brother." I gasped, while still trying to keep my face hidden from Lizzie,

"I have a brother? So, that means I'm not going to been Queen of. . .wherever this place is. . .right?" Alice laughed,

"Of course you will be!! It's Halloween Town's tradition that if we have a Pumpkin King, his eldest daughter will take the throne, and if it's a Pumpkin Queen, the oldest son will take the throne." Lizzie stood up and walked acoss the room to stand next to me. I hastily turned away while hiding my hands in the robe I found that I was wearing.

"So. . .She has a brother and a sister. By who?" Alice grinned,

"My mother's name is Sally. Her and Jack got married soon after he returned from the world of the living." I frowned. That made no sense.

"If he left, how did my twin brother end up here?" She sighed and shook her head,

"Jason was. . .changing faster than you were. So he had to be removed from the world of the living. He only stayed with you and Miranda for about a year. Miranda couldn't stand watching her son waste away, so she called Father, and he brought him home." I nodded. Lizzie stepped forward,

"Waste away?" She looked over at me and gasped when she caught a glimpse of my face,

"Oh my gosh!!" I tried to speak but then the little ghost dog from my dream floated through the door. I screamed and hid behind Alice, who started laughing,

"Don't worry Jinnie! Zero is nothing to be afraid of!" She ran forward and started petting the dog. I frowned. Petting a ghost? Okay, now I'm confused. Zero licked Alice's face and then floated out the window.

Alice grinned up at me,

"Now, we need to get you two dressed. Father is announcing your arrival down at town hall and then Lock and I will escort you there ourselves." Lizzie looked at me and then slowly backed away,

"I'm not going to a meeting of freaks." Alice frowned,

"Freaks?" I looked back at Lizzie in astonishment,

"You think I'm a freak?" She glanced from me to Alice and then nodded,

"Yes. And I want to go home. Now." Alice shook her head,

"I'm afraid that unless one of the witches agrees to take you, you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Lizzie glared down at my assumed little sister,

"I shall go home when I wish! I want to go home now!!!" I turned to look at her, almost on the brink of tears,

"Lizzie please. I can't do this by myself." She shook her head and frowned at me in disgust,

"I'm not going to stay here and end up looking like you!!!" Lizzie grabbed her satchel off the bed and stormed out the door. Alice smirked,

"Don't worry Jinnie. She won't get far. If she even makes it out the front door she'll either run into the vampries or the wolf man." I gasped,

"Vampires?!" I pulled the robe tighter around me and lightly made my way down the stairs and into what seemed like a parlor, only to find Lizzie arguing with a woman who looked like a healthier version of Alice.

"Dammit lady!! I want to go home!!!" The woman held out her hands, trying to calm my 'friend' down.

"Lizzie please. Just let us handle introducing Jinnie to society and then we'll take you home." Lizzie grabbed a vase and threw it at the wall. I had never seen her this angry before,

"I want to go home!!!!!" I marched forward and glared at her,

"Lizzie!!!" She stopped mid-rant and looked at me, "If you want to leave fine. But the minute you walk out that door, it's not going to be my job to protect you from whatever's out there!! Vampires, wolf men, witches!!! All the things of your nightmares are out there, and I'm not going to put up with your predjudice against them, or me." The woman, who I was guessing was Sally, sighed,

"Lizzie, dear, if you do not wish to go to the town meeting, I won't make you. You can stay here, but Lock won't be able to take you home until tomorrow. He'll be busy showing our Pumpkin Heir around town." Lizzie huffed,

"Fine." She glared at me and then stormed up the stairs, passing Alice who was carrying a black garment bag. She tossed it to me,

"Here. Put this on. Lock will be here in a few minutes and then we have to leave." I nodded and walked through a door into a small office. I unzipped the bag and pulled out a black, pin stripe dress with the bottom flairing out. It was very low-cut, I assumed, to show off my rib cage. I pulled on the dress and straightened the beautiful lace the was sewed onto the collar. A pair of knee high boots was also in the bag and I pulled them on. I brushed some of my hair out of my face and walked out into the parlor, where Alice was sitting on a couch, humming a tune I almost recognized.

_Tender lumplings everywhere. Life's no fun without a good scare._

She turned and grinned up at me,

"You look great! Okay, Lock just called, he's right down the street." Just as she said this, the door bell rang. I heard Zero start barking upstairs as Alice approached the door. She pulled it forward and an older boy rushed forward, picked her up and said,

"What's up my bitch?!" Alice smacked him on the back of his head,

"I'm not your bitch!! . . You're my bitch!! Oh and this is my sister. Maybe she could be your bitch." Alice waved nonchalantly at me and walked off. I looked up at Lock who was gaping at me. He was. . .beautiful.

His hair, long, black, much shinier than James'. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a bright red muscle shirt, which brought out the color in his blood red eyes. He was skinny, like the rest of us, but his muscles filled out the shirt in all the right places. Not the weird places like with the rugby players at my school. He smiled.

"Hi." he said, breathlessly. I bit my lip, while my face blushed red. I have no idea how it did that, seeing as how it was just bone, but it did.

"H-hi." Lock blushed,

"So you're the new Pumpkin Princess?" I kicked the back of my shoe and nodded,

"I guess." Alice rolled her eyes and mumbled something that sounded like '. . .has no idea how to talk to boys.' Lock cast a look at her and then smiled down at me,

"Well, it's nice to meet you. You look great." Alice groaned,

"Stop flirting!!! Jeez. Cradle robber." I frowned. Cradle robber? How old was this guy? Lock laughed and threw Alice over his shoulder,

"Aww. You're no fun!! I'm only five years older than your dearest sister!! I have a feeling that you're just jealous!!" Alice kicked him in the stomach, not even making him flinch because she was so tiny,

"I am not jealous!! Now if you were Barrel then it'd be another story!" Lock grinned and dropped her onto the couch,

"Ah ha!! I knew it!! You do like Barrel!!! Oh, I am soooo telling Shock when I get home!!!" Alice stood up and tackled him,

"You will not!!!" She closed her mouth and then reopened it, only to let a thin thread of saliva slowly come closer to Lock's handsome face. He squirmed under her grasp,

"No!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! I won't even talk to Shock until Christmas I promise!!!" Alice smirked and continued to watch the spit slowly fall. Lock grimaced,

"I'll tell Jack and he won't let you go trick or treating in the world of the living this year!!!" Alice gasped and quickly jumped back onto the couch, wiping spit off her face,

"You wouldn't." Lock grinned and sat crouched on the floor,

"Oh I would." I sighed,

"Aren't we supposed to be going to this meeting thing?" Alice gasped and looked at the clock,

"Oh, crap! Yes!! We're gonna be late, come on!!" She ran out the door leaving Lock and I behind. He grinned,

"Sorry about this your highness." He knelt down on the ground and pushed me over so I was bending over his shoulder. Then, he stood and started running down the street. I straightened up so he was carrying me upright and watched where we were going. Alice was prancing down the street and quickly turned the corner to walk down a dark alley where she found a door and opened it. Lock sat me down, keeping a hand on my shoulder and walked me through he door. I frowned and looked up at him,

"Where are we?" He glanced around and sighed,

"Town Hall. Backstage." I was silent for a moment and could here the same voice I heard just before I passed out in 'the world of the living'. Alice winked at me and then ran past the curtain and we both heard her scream.

"Daddy!!!" which was soon followed by a loud thump and booming laughter. Lock rested his elbow on my shoulder and shook his head, amused. We listened to the Pumpkin King continue with his speech, chuckling.

"Well, you all know my daughter, Alice, and my older son, Jason. But I have a confession to make. Fourteen years ago, when I disappeared. I went to the world of the living. Where I met a woman, named Miranda." I heard several people mumble as if they had heard this name before. Jack continued.

"Jason wasn't my only child by her. He had a twin sister. Named Jinnie. I let her live with her mother all these years because, despite her resemblence to me, Miranda still believed she could fit in with living society, but now, her mother and I, have decided to let her return home. To take her place, as Pumpkin Princess." The room was silent, but then a dark, raspy voice exclaimed,

"What about dear Alice?!" Another hissed,

"Or Jason!! They've all been raised here!! They know the customs!! Why should an outsider be allowed to come and take their crown?!" Jack cleared his throat,

"Alas, I understand your distress!! But she does know the customs. Buried deep within her subconcious is the culture that her mother left behind!! It is the tradition for the Pumpkin King's eldest daughter to take the throne. I'm only doing what my mother wished. You all loved my mother, Bella. Don't you wish, to follow her laws, that she set, to make Halloween Town a better place?! I ask you. Were you not once my mother's loyal subjects?!" The crowd burst into applause and I could almost imagine the smug grin on the skeleton man's face.

"And now, without further adue. I introduce my daughter, Jinnie Skellington!" Lock lowered his hand to my back and gently pushed me forward to where Alice met me and grabbed my hand. She winked once and then dragged me out onto the stage.

The room went silent.

Small voices whispered. '. . .so much like her father!' '. . .amazing how beautiful. . .' Jack, my father, Dad, reached his hand out to me and I took it. He smiled lightly, knelt down to my height, and pulled me into a warm hug. He rested my head on my shoulder and sighed,

"I'm so happy you're home." I smiled to myself, and nervously wrapped my arms around his waist.

**YAY!!! haha okay, next chapter should be up shortly but i need some more reviews!!! tell your friends!! yes i know i'm an attention whore!!!! its just the way i am!!!!! why am i still screaming?!?!?! i dont know!!!! i like answering my own quesions!!!! i'm going to stop talking now!!!!!**


	3. Cradle Robber

**YAY! next chapter**

I woke up the next morning, to Zero licking my face. I waved him off and walked to the door, wearing a pair of flannel pajamas that Alice brought me. I opened the door and found Lock sleeping by my door. What's he doing here? Watching him sleep, it was fun. He was kinda cute when he's sleeping. Then, I noticed he was shivering. I walked back into the room and grabbed one of my blankets. Quietly, I walked back out the door and draped the throw around his shoulders. Once i was sure he wasn't shivering, and that he didn't wake up, I walked down the stairs. I turned the corner and could smell the familiar smell of pancakes cooking on a griddle. I walked into the kitchen and Sally was just in the process of stacking five small pancakes on a plate. Watching the food made me feel weird, and I wasn't sure if it was hunger, because I'm dead. I frowned,

"Morning, Sally." She looked back at me and smiled,

"Morning, Jinnie. Jack asked me to make you breakfast. Something about how your human qualities hadn't quite faded yet so you still need to eat. He said by tomorrow you shouldn't need food and we could donate the rest of the food to the wolf men." I nodded,

"Uh, Sally? Why is Lock sleeping outside my room? I thought Alice said he stayed at the old Boogie treehouse? With Shock and Barrel?" Sally smiled,

"He said he didn't want to leave you. . .he also said he didn't want me to tell you he said that. . .but I suppose it's better that you know." I blushed and started eating the pancakes.

"Oh. Okay." Then, Alice pranced down the stairs, grinning as usual,

"Jinnie! Did you know that there's a handsome little devil sleeping outside your room?" I grinned,

"Who? Lock? Ha. Yeah I saw him." Alice grinned and poked my shoulder,

"Come on sis'. I know you like him." Sally smirked and I blushed. I reached over and brushed Alice's hand off my shoulder,

"I do not!! I just, don't have an interest in guys yet." I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around. Lizzie? She must not have left yet. She smirked and took her plate of pancakes,

"Whatever. You wouldn't stop drooling over James." Alice grinned,

"Ohhh a guy named James? Sounds sexy."

"Alice. . ." Sally said, warningly. I rolled my eyes,

"He was. . .nice." Lizzie laughed, obviously over what happened last night,

"Yeah, real nice!! You so wanted to do him after the Halloween dance." Alice gasped and looked up at me. I blushed,

"Okay, maybe. But he kissed me, what was I supposed to do? I was taken off guard." I heard more footsteps and opted to stop talking, but Lizzie kept pressing me forward,

"And he was the first guy you had alone in your room. Nobody ever found out what really happened." I blushed furiously and glared at her,

"Nothing happened!! We might have kissed but that's it!!" I heard a sharp intake of breath come from the stairs and then heavy footsteps march back up the stairs. I spun around and saw my blanket hanging on the banister. I groaned,

"See what you did Lizzie?!" She smirked and started picking at her now dry pancakes,

"I thought you said you didn't like him?" I rolled my eyes,

"That doesn't mean we need to tell him about my private life! God, what the hell is wrong with you?!" I jumped out of my chair and started up the stairs, grabbing my blanket as I went. I marched up the stairs and looked up and down the hall. No Lock. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and sniffed it, hoping to come across some scent that would remind me of Lock and I found it. One corner of the blanket had a distinct smell of candy corn and cinnamon. I breathed in deeply, memorizing the scent and then continued down the hall. One door, at the very end, was covered in stickers and painted dark red. From the inside, I could hear two male voices, arguing about something. I knocked once and then slowly pushed the door open to find a shirtless Lock laying down on the floor while another shirtless skeleton was laying down on top of a bunk bed. Lock looked up at me and then back at the ceiling. I leaned against the door jamb and smirked,

"So do I need to take my shirt off to come in?" I could just see Lock blush a deep red and the other guy stood straight up, nearly hitting his skull on the ceiling.

"Uh. . .I'm fairly sure I do not want to see my sister without a shirt on." I laughed. So this was Jason. I walked forward and sat on Lock's chest, just to make him mad. He didn't say anything though, because I was so light he didn't care. I frowned down at him and then looked up at Jason,

"So what were you two manly men arguing about?" Jason started to say something when Lock reached up and pointed at him,

"Not a word Skeleton Man!!" Jason shrugged and spread out on his bed,

"Fine, D." I bounced up and down,

"Ohhh, nick names I want one!!" They both smirked at me, either amused or annoyed.

"The Human." said Jason. Lock rolled his eyes,

"Nah. . .uh. . .Weasley." We both looked down at him.

"What?" He laughed,

"Haven't either of you read the Harry Potter books? Ron's little sister's name is Ginny. Ginny Weasley. Jinnie Weasley. Weasley." I glanced up at Jason and we both burst into laughter. Lock reached up and wrapped his arms around my waist,

"What? It's not that bad. What nick name do you want?" I grinned,

"How about. . .Magnificent Princess of Darkness?" Jason laughed,

"Sorry. That's Alice's." I frowned,

"Uh. . ." Lock stepped in,

"How about Little D?" I grinned,

"As much as that sounds like you're trying to pair us up, I like it." We all burst into laughter and I stood up, nonchalantly pulling myself out of Lock's embrace,

"So seriously, what were you guys arguing about." Jason smirked and despite Lock's pleading look told me,

"It was one of those, 'you're not going out with my sister!' moments." I blushed furiously and leaned up against the bed.

"Oh." Lock glanced from me to the clock on the wall and gasped,

"Oh, crap! I gotta go!! I told your dad I'd meet him at Dr. Finklestein's at two. I only have ten minutes to get there!" He stood up and looked down at me,

"Well, I guess I'll see you around." He grabbed his shirt and walked out into the hall. I pulled the throw tighter around me and followed him,

"Can I go with you?" He bit his lip.

"Uh, I don't know. . ." I grabbed his hand,

"Please?!" Lock chuckled,

"Fine. Hurry up and get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs." I smiled, gave him a quick hug, and then ran to my room.

**~X~X~X~**

As soon as I pulled on a black mini skirt and a black and grey striped sweater, I bolted out my door and down the stairs. Sally was waiting at the foot of the stairs, holding a black leather jacket,

"You'll need this. It'll keep your bones from getting weathered." I nodded gratefully and pulled the jacket on. I waved at Alice on my way out and walked through the front door. The sky was a dull grey, but it was somehow beautiful. I looked out to the street and there was Lock, wearing a black leather jacket like mine, over his red shirt, and black jeans, leaning against a bright red motorcycle. So that's what Sally meant about the bone weathering thing. Lock smiled when he saw me walking down the drive and tossed me a red helmet,

"Here. You need this more than I do." I nodded and carefully slipped the too-big helmet over my thin hair. Lock got on the bike and grinned up at me,

"You look kinda sexy." I rolled my eyes,

"Shut up. You're almost old enough to be my father." He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the bike,

"Uh, not even close. You wouldn't believe how old he was even if I told you. If Alice thinks I'm a cradle robber, then Jack is an uterus robber." I rolled my eyes,

"Okay that's just nasty." Lock glanced back at me and then kicked the bike to life. I think he tried to say something but I couldn't hear him over the engine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and soon, we were flying down the lane.

**Yay!!! motorcycle man!!!**


	4. MY BUGS! MY BUGS!

**teehee here you go. the fourth chapter you've all been asking for**

We pulled up in front of Town Hall through a crowd of hundreds of monsters. Freaked out, I clung to Lock's arm. He chuckled and pulled his arm free,

"Don't be afraid, Jinnie. They're your family now." I glanced back at the citizen's of Halloween Town who were, now that I remembered, celebrating Halloween. At my face of realization, Lock laughed,

"Change of plan. We're having the meeting here, and yes, Jinnie. It's Halloween. If it wasn't, I probably wouldn't be here and we'd probably still be hanging out with Jason. Or I'd have to take your friend home." I nodded as we walked up to the door,

"So what does. . .Jack want you to do?" Lock smirked as he held the door open for me,

"I'm in charge of security detail for Alice's outing tonight. There's a big meeting going on about it and Jack wants me there." I nodded and followed him through the lobby, through a door into a large conference room. Lock grabbed my hand and pulled me to two chairs near the head of the table. He sat down at the one closest to the head and pulled me down into the chair next to him. As people, er, monsters, started filing into the room, Lock leaned toward me and whispered,

"Now, just keep quiet, and let us argue this out. These things always get kinda loud." I nodded and glanced around the room. Clowns, demons, zombies, and, as promised, vampires and wolf men. How did these people get here? Lock followed my gaze to the monsters and chuckled,

"All people who have died on Halloween. Demons were once animals, zombies; people, vampires; doctors, wolf men; dogs, and clowns were people who died playing pranks, or killed by a prank that got out of hand." I nodded and then frowned,

"How did Jack get here?" Lock smiled sadly,

"He died for a noble cause. He was trying to protect his little sister, but they were both killed while out trick or treating. Megan went crazy after they died. She's kept in one of the solitary rooms at Finklesteins." I bit my lip. A crazy aunt? interesting.,

"What about you?" He looked up at me.

"Huh?" I mentally hit myself. Maybe asking a cute guy about how he died wasn't the best way to get to know him, but I pushed forward anyways.

"How did you, Shock, and Barrel die?" Lock chuckled,

"We were at the wrong place at the wrong time." I nodded, letting it go as I watched my father enter the room and sit down next to Lock,

"Oh! Glorious! My oldest daughter gets to sit in on her first town meeting!!" I laughed and looked at the slightly annoyed looks on the townspeoples' faces. Jack stood up again and started to address the people in the room.

"As all of you should know, tonight, is Halloween night!" At the mention of the candy filled holiday, the room broke into ear splitting cheers. Jack chuckled and held his hands up to signal the end of the noise,

"And as you know, I've promised Alice that she would be permitted to travel to the world of the living, to trick or treat, and scare the living daylight out of the unsuspecting humans!" Again, more cheers.

"So now, this meeting is just to discuss security for my daughter. We have several volunteers for the job, but I've decided to take it to a vote, for just one." Hushed murmurs spread throughout the room, expressing peoples' like or dislike of the plan.

"Our first volunteer for the job is Lock, one of our resident trick or treaters." The vampires nodded in approval along with the zombies in the room. I grinned at the term, resident trick or treaters, and then brought myself back to the meeting. Dad continued.

"Our next volunteer, is our own, Dr. Finklestein." The room fell silent as we all turned to look at the man at the end of the table, sitting in a wheel chair and resembling a duck. Dad cleared his throat and chuckled,

"And our third and final volunteer, is my son, Jason." For a moment, everything was silent. Lock smirked and whispered in my ear,

"Here comes the loud part." After he said that, one of the vampires stood up and hissed,

"That's proposterous!!! We don't want both of our King's children in danger of the outside world!!! If Jason wishes to go, we need more than one person to go!!!" Lock huffed and stood up,

"I am more than capable of watching over Miss Skellington! Come on, Jack!! I'm turning twenty in just a few weeks!! I've gotten my driver's licence in the world of the living! I'm sure you can't say that about any of these yahoos!!" The witches shrieked and the room exploded.

"Are you going to let him talk to us like that, Jack?!"

"This is ridiculous!!"

"He's only a child!!!" I smacked Lock after Jack gave him a dirty look and then continued with the meeting,

"Calm down everyone, just, just calm down!!!!" The shouting continued and then, I saw the scariest thing ever, and it made me hide behind Lock. Jack inhaled for at least ten seconds and then his voice shook the walls,

"SILENCE!!!!" Immediately, everyone's voices died down, and their eyes were on my father, who was squeezing the edge of the table in a death grip and breathing heavily.

"Now!! Listen to me!!! We need to make this decision now!!! We need someone that will be able to look in place with my children!!! I believe the Lock is the right one for the job!!!" I nodded more to myself than anything and one of the demons looked down at me,

"You got something to say?!" I immediately shook my head and leaned into Lock who grabbed my shoulders and pushed me forward,

"Actually, she does!" I glared down at him and then looked back at the monsters and sighed. Damn public speaking instincts.

"Uh. Okay? Even though Lock told me not to say anything. Uh, I agree with, my dad. Lock is, a great friend, and I trust him to take care of my little sister while she's out having fun in the world of the living.

"I've only known him for a day, but I can tell that he's responsible, and that he cares for this town, and my family. A lot. And, I know I've only been here for about twelve hours, and you really have no reason to trust me, but if you really want more than one person to go with my sister, I'd go." The room fell completely silent and Dad and Lock were looking at me as if I had gone crazy. I shook my head,

"We could take her to Little Whinging. The place where I was born, and grew up. It's a safe neighborhood, and it has some of the best candy in the country. And, the residents are so gullible you could pull one prank at one house while the neighbors are watching, and then pull the same prank on those neighbors!!!" The monsters mumbled in amazement and Dad beamed down at me. He chuckled,

"Very well, let's take the vote. All in favor of Dr. Finklestein taking Alice trick or treating?" We glanced around the room and the only people with their hands raised were the doctor himself, and a mentally handicapped demon. Lock snickered while Dad continued with the vote,

"And all in favor of Lock, Jinnie, and Jason taking her?" To this, almost every hand in the room raised, including the mayor's. Jack grinned,

"Outstanding!! Well, Lock, Jinnie, we will have the craft ready for you in a few hours. Jinnie, Alice and Lock will help you with your skin so you can interact with your old friends and anyone else you might have known before." I nodded and stood up, Lock following close behind me. We waved once at Dad and then walked out the door. We walked out into the crowds once again and started walking around the court yard. Lock craned his neck over the heads of the people around us, annoyed.

"Dammit! Someone stole my bike again!!" His ears turned red and he started back towards Town Hall. I reached out and grabbed his arm,

"How about, we just walk? You can always tell my dad later, but right now, we need to get home and get my costume ready." Lock nodded in agreement and grabbed my hand,

"Okay. Fine. Let's go." As we walked down the street, I glanced down at his hand. How could he not tell what he does to me? How can he not feel the electric current between our hands?

Then, I heard something move behind us. The street had mysteriously cleared since we'd left. Lock must have heard it too, because he spun around and pulled me behind him. Everything was silent for a moment, and then, from the bushes, we heard a loud screeching.

"MY BUGS!!! MY BUGS!!!! MY BUGS!!!!" Lock's eyes widened,

"No!" He grabbed my arm and started running back up the street, still listening to the screaming which seemed to be following us. Lock kept glancing over his shoulders.

"Crap. Crap, crap, crap!!!" I followed his gaze and shook my head,

"What the hell was that!!!" He looked down at me and grabbed my shoulder, continued down the street,

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just ignore it." I stopped running and pulled him back to me,

"If it's something so bad that you're afraid of it, maybe I do!!" Lock froze for a moment, glaring down at the side walk.

"You really want to know?" I nodded and he groaned,

"Ask your sister. I'll be back before it's time to leave." And then he ran back up the road, towards where we heard the screams. I started after him, but couldn't make myself follow.

"Lock!!! Lock!!!!!!!" Before I could even finish screaming, he had disappeared into the mist.

**Oh snap!!!**


	5. Okay! You Fell Off My Roof!

**I edited this chapter. wasn't feeling the KH thing anymore**

_"Lock!!! Lock!!!!!!" Before I could even finish screaming, he had disappeared into the mist._

Lost, I turned the corner, hoping to see something familiar. Lucky me, I recognized Jason supervising the decoration of Main Street. I ran forward and grabbed his arm. He spun around and frowned down at me.

"Jinnie?! What are you doing here? Where's Lock? I thought you were with him?" I nodded,

"I was!" I whispered, "But he ran off!" Jason frowned and glanced at the monsters who were watching us curiously. He sighed and grabbed my arm, pulling me off to the side.

"Do you know why he ran off? What happened?" I shook my head, thoughts twirling around in my head,

"I don't know!! We were walking back home and then someone was in the bushes screaming about bugs and then Lock freaked out. He ran off towards the screaming and left me there. He said he'd be back before we had to leave. I tried to find out what happened but he said to ask Alice." Jason growled something under his breath and grabbed my arm,

"Come on. I'm taking you home." He waved back at the monsters and then guided me up the street, home.

**~X~X~X~**

I ran up the street, back towards the screams. What's going on? I turned around the corner and ran into Shock and Barrel. Barrel pulled his mask off, gasping for air,

"Did you guys hear that?" Shock and I nodded, completely freaked out. Shock looked up at me and frowned,

"I thought you were with Miss Priss?" I glared down at her,

"Don't call Jinnie that! And I was! She'll be fine." Shock smirked, though the alarmed look on her face was still showing,

"So you do like her!" I rolled my eyes,

"Shut up! We need to find out what the hell's going on!! If Boogie's back, Jack needs to know!!" Barrel groaned,

"Are you being serious right now, Lock? We all know B Man's dead. You saw it we all did. It was probably just some stupid prank." Shock cackled and smacked the back of Barrel's head,

"Aw, poor baby trying to console himself. Come on Barrel, grow a spine!!! Unless someone is a better prankster than me, Lock, you and Jack, there's no way it was a prank. We were at three completely different points in town!!

"I was at my shop, you were at the house and Lock was. . .where ever the hell he was with Jack's new kid." I turned to face her and growled,

"Don't talk about her like that!!!" Barrel groaned,

"Everybody just shut up!!! We need to get back to the house!!" Shock looked at him, shocked.

"Wow, way to take charge little man!!" We both glared at her and then started off toward our tree house,

"We need to straighten this out." I pushed my two younger friends onto the elevator and clung to the side. We were too big to fit all together now, so I rode on the outside by hanging on the bars. We jumped in through the door as the elevator passed it and walked down the hall. Barrel skittered away to his room, probably to eat candy before getting more candy, and Shock and I walked into the dining room. She huffed and pulled herself up to sit on the table.

"So, D. Any idea what that was? It couldn't be Oogie. . .could it?" I shrugged,

"I don't know. You can't really kill some one who's already dead now can you? But we saw Jack kill him. I don't know. But I need to go. Can you make sure Barrel doesn't burn down the tree house?" She nodded and I bolted out the door.

**~X~X~X~**

I sat, curled up on my bed. Everyone downstairs was yelling about whatever had happened. Jack had come up earlier and locked my window, a reaction to whatever, or whoever it was that had snuck up on Lock and me. I pressed my face into the pillow and screamed.

Then, I heard footsteps walking across my room, and quiet chuckling. I sat up, and Lock was standing there, leaning up against my dresser. I glanced at the window, which was now open, and then back at Lock,

"How did you get in here?!" He pressed his finger to his lips and then sat down next to me,

"They don't call me Lock for nothing. . .same goes for Shock and Barrel, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear their stories." I giggled and then became serious.

"So what happened, before?" He frowned,

"Jack didn't tell you?" I shook my head and he rolled his eyes,

"Nobody told you?!" I groaned and rolled my eyes,

"No!" I said in a loud whisper, "Nobody's told me anything!! Jason brought me home, and then I got locked in my room. And then you came in through my window like a freaking bird or something!!!" Lock laughed and glanced at the door,

"So how do you think they'll react if I just walk down the stairs?" I laughed.

"Have you ever watched Bleach?" Lock grinned and nodded. I smiled,

"Take Ichigo's Bankai, multiplied by ten." He chuckled and shook his head,

"That sounds about right for Jack. So that probably means I won't be going with you guys. I was really looking forward to it too!!" I sighed,

"Well, you should probably get out of here, in case the parental unit comes to set me free." Lock shook his head,

"I'm not just going to leave you behind again. I'm. . ." Foot steps were approaching out in the hall. I grabbed his arm and tried to push him to the window,

"Go!! Just go, they're not going to do anything to me!!!" He shook his head and laughed,

"Calm down!! They're not going to do anything to me either." I glared up at him as the footsteps stopped outside my door.

"Go. Now." His eyes widened at my glare and he slowly backed out the window,

"Okay, okay," he said, "I'll go." Just as he pulled his foot out the window, my door opened and Jack burst in.

"Hey!! Lock get back in here!!!!" Lock looked at me and quickly jumped out the window. After that, everything went in slow motion.

Lock's jeans got caught on one of the roof tiles while he was running. It tripped him up and he ended up hanging by the gutter. I started to climb out after him, but Jack held me back. I watched as one of Lock's fingers lost its grip on the roof. Lock waved once, and then I watched as his hand disappeared from the edge.

"No!!!!" I shoved Jack out of my way and ran out into the hall, where Alice was standing. She stopped me, looking scared,

"What happened?!" I pushed her arms away and started running,

"Lock!!!" I ran past everyone on the stairs and in the living room and burst out the front door. I glanced around the front yard and ran around back to find Lock's limp form lying in the grass.

"Lock!" I knelt down on the ground next to his mangled form. He looked up at me and laughed,

"Sorry about that." I rolled my eyes,

"Sorry?! You're bleeding!" I felt water on my face, but I figured it must have started raining, but he reached up and wiped it off,

"You're crying?" I shook my head,

"No, just the rain." Lock chuckled.

"It's not raining." I sighed,

"Shut up. How could you be so stupid?! Running on a roof, jeez Lock." He grinned,

"But you're still crying for me." I sighed and wiped more drops off my face,

"Empty tears. Don't worry about it." Lock shook his head,

"No, just because you're a skeleton doesn't mean it doesn't mean something." I rolled my eyes,

"I'm going to get Dr. Finklestein, please don't die. . .again, okay?" he nodded and I stood up, only to run into Alice, who was standing there, frozen. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her a little,

"Alice!! Can you go get Dr. Finklestein?" She pointed over her shoulder,

"Dad," she whispered, "Already did." I nodded and knelt back down next to Lock,

"Then, go get Shock and Barrel. They need to know. And a blanket. It looks like rain." Alice stood there for a moment and I hissed up at her,

"Go, now!!!" She nodded once and then ran back into the house. Lock shuddered and gasped for air.

"Ow. Falling out of a third story window really hurts." I sighed and brushed some blood caked hair out of his face,

"You really are an idiot, you know that?" He looked up at me and grinned like the little devil everyone said he was,

"But I'm your idiot right?" I sighed. Great. Now he's being delusional. Then, Alice ran back across the yard carrying a pile of thin moth eaten blankets. I snatched them out of her arms and spread them out over Lock. Alice started toward me but I stopped her,

"I'm fine. Just go get Shock and Barrel. This isn't the first time I've had to watch someone die." Lock and Alice looked at me, confused, and then Alice ran off. And it was true. Just two years ago at my old school, Mikayla, about to become a princess, jumped off the Gymnasium's roof, and killed herself. I was the only one willing to go and hold her hand until her pulse stopped. It felt almost natural too. Feeling life completely drain out of someone. Now that I know where I'm from, it made sense.

Lock reached up and wiped another tear from my face,

"You've seen death. No wonder Miranda didn't want you back here." I shook my head,

"What happened to my friend has nothing to do with me being here. It was a long time ago. . .Dammit where the hell is that quack doctor?!" Lock chuckled and grabbed my hand,

"Chill, Little D. He'll be here. And I'm fine just a little sore is all." I laughed and then burst into sobs,

"No you're not!! You just fell off my roof!!" Then, Dad walked around the fence, pushing Dr. Finklestein's wheelchair across the grass. The doctor looked down at me pitifully,

"Calm yourself child. Those tears are wasted on him." Dad rolled his eyes and shook his head, signaling me to ignore the old geezer. Lock grabbed my hand,

"Hey. Go inside, m'kay? I'll be fine I promise." I glanced up at Jack and then back at Lock. I wiped some dirt off his cheek and bit my lip,

"Promise me you won't die?" He laughed,

"I thought you didn't care? And besides. You can't kill someone that's already dead. Just fatally wound them." Jack knelt down and wrapped his arm around my shoulders,

"Not funny at all Lock. Come on, Jinnie. Let's get you inside." He pulled me up with him as he stood up and then dragged me along side him into the house. Jack sat me down on the love seat and then walked into the kitchen. Just as he left the room, the front door burst open and Shock and Barrel ran in the door. Shock glared down at me,

"Where is he? Where's my brother?!" I pointed back towards the door and she ran outside. As soon as she was gone, the tears finally came over and i cried into my hands.

Then, I felt someone sit down next to me on the seat and wrap their arm around my shoulders,

"Are you okay?" I looked up and it was the youngest trick or treater. Barrel. He held out in his hand a piece of licorice, and grinned,

"Must have been pretty cool watching my big bro fall out your window, huh?" I frowned,

"He's your brother?" Barrel shook his head,

"Nah, but we've been friends since before we all died, so it kinda starts to feel that way, after a while. So are you okay?" I shrugged and wiped a few solitary tears off my face,

"I guess. I'll be better once I know he's okay." Barrel nodded and pushed the piece of candy into my hand,

"He'll be fine. It's not the first time we've seen him as a mangled corpse." I looked up at the teenager and frowned,

"Huh?" Barrel tilted his head to one side and grinned,

"He never told you how we died?" I shook my head, "Well, let's just say that trick or treating during a gang war isn't the best idea." I frowned,

"So, what? Did you guys get shot?" He nodded,

"Shock and I did. Lock, he was trying to stop the guys from hurting us. He got jumped. He died first. And when me and Shock went for help, they shot us." I nodded and then Jack walked back into the room, carrying a tray full of something,

"Oh, hello, Barrel. Is Shock here too?" He glanced down at the tray nervously, probably hoping he had enough for everyone. Barrel laughed,

"Nah, she's outside fussing over D. I doubt she wants anything to eat. . .but I'm starving!!! I finally finished last years candy!!!" Jack laughed and set the tray down in front of us. It was covered in bowls of candy corn, chocolate bars, and other candy. Barrel grabbed fist fulls of candy and stuffed it in his mouth. I was just about to start eating when Jack grabbed my shoulder,

"Your mother called. She's still on the phone if you want to talk to her." I jumped up off the couch and looked up at him,

"Seriously?" He nodded and I ran into the kitchen. I glanced around and then found the bat shaped phone on the counter I picked it up and yelled into the phone,

"Mom?!" She laughed,

"Yes Jinnie. It's me. How are you dear?" I sighed,

"Frantic. Something freaky is going on in town and my body guard just fell out of my window." Mom was silent for a moment and mumbled to herself,

". . .knew I shouldn't've let you go." I rolled my eyes,

"It's okay Mom. If we get Lock fixed up soon, I might be able to come visit tonight...if you want me to." She gasped,

"Sweetheart, how would you do that?! Don't you. . .look like your brother now?" I nodded to myself,

"Yes, but I have costume so I'll look like I used to when I get there. . .but I have to go now Mom. I need to check on Lock. Bye talk to you later." Before she could even reply I quickly hung up and ran back out into the living room, where Barrel was sitting on the couch, staring down at the now empty tray. He looked up at me and grinned,

"Can you get me some more candy?" My eyes widened,

"Jeez, Barrel!!! Do you have like, a tape worm or something?!" He shrugged,

"Probably." I rolled my eyes and then walked back out into the front yard, only to find that the whole town had gathered out on the street. I rolled my eyes and walked around to the back where several vampires and witches were leaning over Lock. Jack was standing off to the side watching nervously. I walked up to him and looked at the group.

"What are they doing, Dad?" He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and frowned,

"Healing him. The vampires are getting rid of any bad blood, and the wtiches are using magic. He should be fine in a few seconds." I frowned,

"What about all the people out front?" Jack looked down at me, confused,

"What?" He let go of me and ran out to the gate and groaned when he saw the people,

"Darn it!! I forgot that they were supposed to come to see off Alice. I'll handle this, watch over Lock, won't you?" I nodded earnestly and Jack ran out into the front yard to deal with crowd control. I walked up to the group of healers just they were stepping away from Lock, who jumped up easily and looked down at me.

"I bet you thought that would take longer didn't you? Don't worry, as soon as we get the okay from Jack, we'll leave, go say hi to your mom and maybe some of your friends!" He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we walked out into the yard where Jack was arguing with Alice, only to look at Lock and grin when we walked up to them.

"Splendid!! We'll just get Jinnie and Jason into their skins and you can both be on your way!!" Lock tightened his grip on my arm and frowned,

"What about the voice Jack? I'm sure you heard it? We weren't that far from Town Hall." Jack nodded and glanced out at the crowd,

"Don't worry, we'll investigate while you're gone. Just so long as you stay away from beds you'll be safe, okay? Now, go get dressed and have some fun!!" Alice, Lock, and I walked up to the house and I frowned,

"What do beds have to do with anything?" Lock frowned and stared straight ahead, obviously intent on not telling me, but Alice skipped to my side and stated bluntly,

"It's the Boogy Man. Or Oogie Boogie as he's known around here. Pretty much a potato sack full of bugs. The voice you heard was screaming the exact same words Oogie did when Daddy killed him. So therefore it must be him." I nodded and looked up at Lock, whose jaw was tensed as we walked into the house,

"And why did you freak out about it, when we first heard it? Did Oogie do something to you?" Alice's eyes widened and she stared down at the ground.

"Oogie," she whispered, "Did a lot of terrible things to Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Things that no kids should have to go through, ever. He hurt them bad, and on top of that he made them do all his dirty work. It took a long time after Oogie was gone for the three to earn back Daddy's trust, but when he found out what Oogie had been doing, he welcomed them all into the town with open arms." I stared up at Lock, for the first time understanding why he didn't want to face the voice, at least not without Shock and Barrel by his side. Alice continued,

"But they said no. They took the forgiveness gladly, but citizenship was something they wouldn't. Not out of pity. So they stayed. Lived in the house where they had faced all the pain. And they endured, and now, because they were ready, they've become one and part of the town now. They're happy again. And--"

"Alice," Lock whispered, "Please. No more." I stared up at him, almost on the verge of tears, for my friend, and his past that had now been revealed to me. His, and his family's horrible past. As Alice walked up the stairs to our room, I pulled back on Lock and got him to stand with me in the hall.

"I-I'm sorry. I had no idea--" he stopped me.

"It's okay, Jinnie. You couldn't have. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd be just like Jack. You'd pity me, and do anything you could to help. But I don't want help!" He raised his voice sharply, causing me to flinch,

"I just want to be with the people I care about. That's Shock, Barrel, Alice, Jason, and now you. It's all I want. The people in town don't get that. Just like they never got Christmas." I stared up into his sad red eyes and shook my head.

"I'm not my father, Lock. I understand when people want help and when they don't. Even when Alice was telling me, I did feel bad, but I knew I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't want to do anything about it. Because some things happen, and there's nothing you can do to fix them," I sighed,

"I figured that out when I realized that my dad was never coming back. I got the same treatment as you when my friends found out, I didn't have a dad. We're one and the same, you know that?" Lock smiled sadly and pressed his cold lips to the crown of my hair,

"Yeah. Now go and get your skin on. I'll be waiting." I grinned up at him, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then ran up the stairs to Alice's room where she had my skin waiting for me.

**YAy!! I liked this version of it waaaay better**


End file.
